Placements and internships
Build your talent pipeline with Swinburne’s next generation of creative, innovative and adaptable thinkers and doers through our Work Integrated Learning and employment programs, including placements, internships, industry-linked projects and more.
Access Next Generation Talent
When you host a Swinburne student, you add value to your organisation. They’ll offer fresh insights, support you and your team on projects and give your current employees opportunities to develop their leadership skills.
Build your program with us
One-size doesn’t fit all. Achieve your unique set of business goals by co-creating a placement, internship of industry-linked program with us. If you don’t require a tailored solution, we also offer set programs.
Recruit our next gen grads
With the world demanding a new kind of graduate – for whom tech is first nature and learning and innovating is constant – Swinburne is nurturing next gen thinkers and doers now. Embed Swinburne talent in your organisation.
Talk to us about joining the thousands of organisations, from start-ups to multinationals, who’ve co-created their programs and accessed next gen talent through our Work Integrated Learning and employment programs.
Contact employers@swinburne.edu.au to find out how we can work together.
Benefits of working with our students
Fresh skills and outlook
next gen talent
Employer brand promotion
Ways to work with our students
Placements
6- or 12-month full-time placements
Build a strong relationship and a steady pipeline of next generation talent with full-time student placements. Get help with your next big project, give busy staff support, and or help your business grow.
Placement key dates
Semester 1 2025 intake
- 19 August 2024: Position descriptions made available to all eligible students from this date
- 17 February 2025: Confirm your placement student by this date
- 3 March 2025: Last day for students to commence their 12-month placement
Steps to recruiting a placement student
- Complete a position description using our template and send it to us employers@swinburne.edu.au.
- We’ll have the position description reviewed and approved.
- We’ll advertise the position to our students.
- Students apply via InPlace and we will forward the applications to you.
- You shortlist and interview your applicants and make your selection.
- You advise the successful student and notify us of the outcome.
- You advise the unsuccessful students.
- Complete a placements confirmation form and send it to us.
- Email employers@swinburne.edu.au a copy of the signed employment contract.
Swinburne will support you and the student throughout the duration of the placement.
Requirements for hosting a placement student
While hosting a placement student, your organisation will need to:
- allocate a workplace supervisor to the student
- have a site visit by Swinburne to ensure placement requirements are met
- assign the student to a project
- ensure students have access to appropriate equipment and space
- be aware that students need to complete online assessments set by Swinburne outside of office hours.
A Swinburne supervisor will also be allocated to the student for the duration of their placement.
Contact employers@swinburne.edu.au for more information on getting involved.
Accreditation placements
Every year our students studying education, engineering, health and law seek placement opportunities as part of their certificate, diploma or degree. Enhance your reputation as an employer of choice and access a steady pipeline of talent.
Internships
Bring fresh ideas to the table for a short-term project or campaign. Build your talent pipeline and your brand’s reputation among new entrants to the workforce.
Available to undergraduate students, internships are part-time, typically unpaid placements that are around two days per week for 12 weeks.
Internships can also be offered in intensive mode during semester breaks.
Internship key dates
Summer Term 2025 intake
- 14 October 2024: Project descriptions made available to all students from this date
- 16 December 2024: Last day to confirm your internship student
- 6 January – 14 February 2025: Students complete internship during Summer Term
Semester 1 2025 intake
- 14 October 2024: Project descriptions made available to all students from this date
- 24 February 2025: Last day to confirm your internship student
- 17 February – 30 May 2025: Students complete internship during Semester 1
Steps to recruiting an internship student
Arranging an internship typically involves the following key steps:
- Complete a project description using our template and send it to employers@swinburne.edu.au.
- We’ll arrange for the review and approval of the project
- We’ll advertise the project to our students.
- Students apply via InPlace and we’ll forward the applications to you.
- You shortlist and interview your applicants and make your selection.
- You advise the successful student and notify us of the outcome.
- You advise the unsuccessful students.
- Complete an agreement form and send it to us.
Swinburne will support you and the student throughout the duration of the internship.
Requirements for hosting an internship student
While hosting a student, your organisation will need to meet the following requirements:
- allocate a workplace supervisor to the student
- have a site visit by Swinburne to ensure placement requirements are met
- assign the student to a project
- ensure students have access to appropriate equipment and space
- be aware that students need to complete online assessments set by Swinburne outside of office hours.
A Swinburne supervisor will also be allocated to the student for the duration of their placement.
All internships must be project based. For example, a marketing company may ask a student to develop a social media marketing strategy within the 12-week internship period.
Contact employers@swinburne.edu.au for more information on getting involved.
Industry-linked Projects
Have a team of creative and innovative students come together to help solve your business problem, guided by you and supported by our academic staff. Give your brand exposure among the next wave of next generation talent.
We’ll co-create a project with you to enable you to meet your business needs.
You can get involved with three types of industry-linked projects with varying levels of commitment and outcomes.
Industry projects
A group of students work on a real project provided by you. They’ll work closely with you, you’ll offer advice, support, feedback and help with the assessment. If the solution the students come up with meets your needs, you can use it!
Industry brief
You’ll brief students on an issue currently challenging your business. They’ll work in teams to create and pitch their solution to you. There’s no requirement to take on any of the student pitches.
Industry standard
Engage with students using the industry tools and approaches your organisation does so they’re ready to run on day one.
These programs are available to business, non-profit and government organisations.
Contact employers@swinburne.edu.au for more information on getting involved.
Masters internships - ICT, Engineering and Business
Masters internships are part-time, unpaid placements that are typically two days per week for 12 weeks (24 days total). These internships are currently available for students undertaking masters courses.
They’re an ideal way to tackle a short-term project that is closely aligned with a student's study area. Masters internships are offered over a semester and commence during the first week of a semester.
Intake dates for Semester 1 2024
- 11 November 2024: Project descriptions made available to all eligible students from this date
- 14 February 2025: Last day to confirm masters internship student
- 3 March – 26 May 2025: Students complete internship during Semester 1
Steps to recruiting a masters - intern
- Complete a project description using our template and send it to us.
- We’ll arrange for the review and approval of the project
- We’ll advertise the project to our students.
- Students apply via InPlace and we will forward the applications to you.
- You shortlist and interview your applicants and make your selection.
- You advise the successful student and notify us of the outcome.
- You advise the unsuccessful students.
- Complete an agreement form and send it to us.
Swinburne will support you and the student throughout the duration of the internship.
Contact employers@swinburne.edu.au for more information on getting involved.
PhD Internships
For Swinburne, industry collaboration is critical to unlocking innovation potential through research and development.
Swinburne partners with Australian Postgraduate Research (APR) Intern to deliver short-term graduate research internships across all disciplines and sectors, to small-to-medium and large enterprises, as well as government agencies.
APR Intern provides a platform for industry to further develop and innovate through short-term tightly focused research projects and gives PhD students the opportunity to apply highly analytical research expertise to projects while gaining invaluable experience in an industry setting.
Swinburne is an internationally recognised research-intensive university with a growing reputation and benefits of this program include:
- Quality research capabilities: Gain access to Swinburne’s world-class PhD students and academics who have advanced knowledge of the latest technologies in their field.
- Rapid results in 3-5 months: Create real-world impact through short-term high impact research projects.
- Retain intellectual property: All project-related IP remains with the external partner.
- Cost effective: APR Intern is supported by the Australian Government and gives industry a 50% rebate off the already low cost of an internship.
- Minimal administration: All facilitation is managed by APR Intern and Swinburne
Want to know more?
Contact us to discuss hosting a Swinburne PhD research student. We'll work with you to explain the process and consult with you to find an appropriate pool of candidates to select for interview. You review the resumes and conduct the interviews – the choice of student is yours.
Contact us on profinternships@swinburne.edu.au.
Volunteer placements
If you're a not-for-profit organisation with an upcoming event or project you need volunteers for, we can connect you with our students through our Student Life Volunteering Program.
To find out more, email the volunteer placements team at volunteer@swinburne.edu.au.
Partner stories
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Rural Northwest Health
Dr Kaye Knight describes the unique work experiences that students receive at RNH.
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Melbourne Water
Jarrod Mitchell explains how the professional placements program is developing the next generation of engineers.
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City of Yarra
Peter Moran describes the civil engineer professional placement program at the City of Yarra.
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Cobalt Design
Steve Martinuzzo describes how placement students integrate with the workplace and transform into potential long-term employees.
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Partner stories
Browse some of our industry partners that benefit from hosting students through work placements or internships.
Hosting a student with disabilities?
If your placement or internship student has a disability, we can provide guidance and help you make reasonable adjustments and support you in becoming a disability confident recruiter.
Find out more how Swinburne can assist your organisation.
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Apprenticeships and traineeships
Make Swinburne your trusted training partner and enjoy the benefits of working alongside an institution that has been delivering high-quality vocational courses for more than a century.
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Employ a student or graduate
Enhance your organisations profile among our next generation talent. Employ a Swinburne student or graduate.
Interested in working with our students?
Build your talent pipeline and make your brand an employer of choice. Speak to our team for expert advice and get your journey started on employers@swinburne.edu.au.